Corona Is a Ball with Spikes

“Corona is a Ball with Spikes” is a short story for pre-teens by renowned Norwegian author and teacher Maria Parr, written during the first lockdown in April 2020. The story follows a seven-year-old boy, Oskar, who attempts to understand the pandemic through conversations with his older brother, the first-person narrator. Parr opens the tale with Oskar’s observation that “Corona is a ball with spikes,” introducing a dodgeball metaphor that Oskar uses to comprehend the virus. He imagines a scenario in which the infected are those holding the virus like a ball, throwing it at healthy people. Drawing from visual depictions of the virus, Oskar uses this metaphor to express his fear of COVID as a powerful, threatening force. Through his brother’s explanations, Oskar eventually understands that the fight against the virus is a collective struggle and gains the reassurance that the virus is not as invincible as it seemed. Parr uses this accessible metaphor and the relationship between the brothers to highlight the importance of teamwork in battling the pandemic. She also emphasizes the need for open communication with children, preventing them from becoming overwhelmed by their own fears and misconceptions, while acknowledging their resilience.